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Wish
Prologue Oakheart hissed and pounded his paw on the tree trunk he was sitting on. "Unheard of!" he yowled. Bluestar gazed at him, her eyes frosty blue in the starlight. "Are you sure?" she asked. "Cats can be cruel and evil, why not selfish?" Oakheart shook his head from side to side. "But....a Clan cat must always serve the Clan before himself! It's the Warrior Code!" Bluestar sighed, "But the Code holds no power over those who will not hear it." she meowed softly. Her mate just stared into the pool and closed his eyes "Can I make a suggestion?" Bluestar turned to see a smokey gray she-cat padding towards them. She nodded. "Yellowfang! I was wondering when you join us!" said Bluestar. The gray cat nodded and sat down. Oakheart opened an eye. Yellowfang began to talk with no wasted time, "We should teach this cat a lesson. One about himself." Oakheart opened his other eye and Bluestar nodded in approval. "I like it...." she meowed quietly. Louder and more commanding she yowled, "Does StarClan agree?" The mist around the clearing became shadowy spirits with stars in their eyes. Each and every one nodded. "Very well." said Yellowfang. "It shall be done." murmered Bluestar. And with that, StarClan left the pond, left the cat to his fate. Chapter 1 "Hi Selfish!" Shellfish sighed. The kit that had yowled half way across camp to him, could still not pronounce his name. Just like all the other stupid kits in the stinking nursery. They got a warm bed and people purring at them all day when they were so....dumb! If anyone got a reward like that, it should be me! Shellfish opften thought. The kit probably had no idea that most of the elders, apprentices, queens, and warriors called him the same thing. Only they meant it. Shellfish sighed, it wasn't his fault that he was better then everyone else! If only they knew... He was walking to the fresh kill pile. He hadn't hunted, but why should he? These cats hated him! And besides, a warrior needed energy to hunt. All the patrols were already out, Shellfish had slept through most of morning. Like every day. He needed his sleep to be in peak condition. But he wasn't. His eyes were always darting around, looking for something he had to have, something he wanted. His gray and white fur was matted and tangled because Shellfish considered it to 'gross' to wash and no one would do it for him. He had put on a lot of weight, eating all the good food and not doing patrols hadn't helped much. And, slowly, very slowly, his brain seemed to be turning to mush that could only think about Shellfish. An elder, Raindance, the oldest cat in the Clan was reaching for the only piece of prey left, a fat, juicy rabbit. Her eyes gleamed with happiness at getting such a nice breakfast. Shellfish bounded over to the pile and shoved the old elder. She landed in a mud puddle and cried out in pain. Shellfish hadn't meant to hurt her, or shove her in a mud puddle. But the rabbit was his, what did elders do to deserve warriors care anyways? Shellfish stalked to the sunniest spot in camp, a large rock, big enough for 3 foxes to lie on. He knocked two apprentices off of it and streched out so no one else could get on. He ate the rabbit slowly and threw away the half eaten carcass. He was full and some cats hadn't eaten yet but he didn't care. He looked at the sun. It was about midday. He sighed. He had been very active this morning and was all ready for his after noon nap. He lumbered off to the den, ready to sleep in the three nests he occupied once more. Chapter 2 "Wake UP!!!" Shellfish was not used to being woken up in such a way. He fell out of his nest painfully. He stood up, ready to make a rather large complaint but he stopped dead in his tracks. He was facing Smallbrook. She was a large brown she cat with a small trickle of tan going down her spine and piercing blue eyes. Clan deputy, stern and demanding, she was large and in charge. She was always very curt, stern and now she had an extra reason to hate Shellfish. Shellfish had tried not to think about it much now. It was a while ago. But he and Smallbrook had been....well....pretty close to becoming mates. But then Shellfish had accidenttaly let it slip he was also seeing Flowerfern. Smallbrook, beat him up and then dumped him. She hated him forever after that. Even after the next day when Flowerfern dumped him as well. Now Shellfish could tell Smallbrook was also remembering these moments as she stood with her eyes narrowed. "Raindance is in the medicine den with lots of sorness and a badly twisted ankle. She said you pushed her to get to a better piece of fresh kill, am I correct?" Shellfish didn't watnt to answer but the deputy was scaring him. He nodded as smally as he could. Smallbrook snarled. "I do not recall sending you out on patrol today Shellfish, did you hunt or patrol at all today?" she snarled and bared her teeth when he shook his head. "Shadestar has allowed me to give you punishment as I see fit." she smiled poisonessly sweet. Shellfish backed away, she was going to be harsh. Sure enough she said, "What ought to be done with a crazed, untamed cat like you?" Shellfish could tell she had already decided on a punishment before she came to his den. She opened her mouth again, still smiling sickeningly sweet and he waited for her to sentence him. Chapter 3 Shellfish padded slowly out of his den. Today was the fiorst day of his punishment. He had complained lopudly about it to several cats, all of whom had decided suddenly to join a patrol. He hasd to hunt and patrol all day for a moon and could only have a piece of fresh kill a day, AFTER he had made sure all of Raindance's needs were met. The added punishment of helping Raindance had been added when he commented he hoped the old cat would die soon. Shellfish could not believe he had so many punishments, so much work to do in a moon. He was very unhappy. He padded out of camp and could feel the eys of other cats on his back. He could hear some of the apprentices gigeling, one of the newest warriors whispered, "Looks like Selfish is getting up and catching his own food for a change!" lots of laughter followed. Shellfish sprinted out of camp and up the stony trail that lead to the territory. He'd show them all! He'd catch some food! He huffed up a steep trail into the medow. The medow was a beautiful, warm place. The golden grass waver in the wind, a small creek trickled down the middle and a few scattered trees and rockes littered the ground. It was usually full of prey. Shellfish was sure he;'d catch a lot. but all the climbing he had just done had made him very tired and very thirsty. He padded slowly to the creek and took a long drink. Then he saw a large rock sticking out over the grass. He slowly padded up it's side, stepping on a rabbits warren to give him a boost. The warren collasped but Shellfish made it on the rock. The sun was hitting it just right.... He closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep. Chapter 4 When he woke up, Shellfish looked at the sky. It was almost night. He hadn't caught anything yet. He stretched and let the sinking sun warm his fur a little before he slowly got up and looked around for prey. He was about to call it quits when he heard a squeak. He looked down. He had accidentaly squashed a mouse. He gobbled it up witohut thinking about it. After it was gone he reliazed he should have saved it. he sighed, it didn't matter. He had tried. He padded home, ready to fall asleep in his nest. But the moment he entered camp Littlebrook stepped in fromnt of him. He felt her eyes search his paws, looking for fresh-kill. He knew she hadn't seen any but she still smiled sweetly. "So, what have you brought for the fresh kill pile today Shellfish?" he shrugged. She hissed and he figured he had about a few seconds to say soemthing else or she would start chewing him out. He tried to look dejected and apologetic, something he was not used to doing. "I'm sorry, I hunted all day in the medow. Nothing came out of its nest. I stepped on a mopuse but it wasn't fit to eayt, really sorry." he tried to side step passed her to hsi den but her eyes were now interested. "You caught a mouse? Where is it now, we can find it, the elders will be pleased to eat anything!" he shook his head. "I bet an owl or something already carried it off...." e rushed to his den, ignoring Littlebrook's growls. He sank into his nest, he really hated his Clan, life was down inth e dumps. But at least he had something to eat. He let himself fall into a deep slumber. Chapter 5 14 sunrises later Shellfish got up again. He was even more sick of his punishment with each day that passed. His routine hadn't changed though. He would go to the medow, sleep all day, wake up, catch his own dinner and come back home, trying to avoice Littlebrook's wrath. It was not how he prefered to live. He trudged home from a particularty humid day. He had actually caught two things today. Both of them had been very good. Littlebrook was waiting by the camp enterence. Shellfish debated running away, going through the dirtplace again, anything but this. But it was too late. Littlebrook didn;t yowl, didn't say anything. Her ice blue eyes were just big and sad. He stared at her, remembering when he liked her. She was really quite pretty. But now she didn't have her usual flair. She just seemed defeated. Finally, she spoke. And it was with a defeated tone that matched her demeanor. "You do something bad. So we punish you." she looked direstly at him for the first time. "And yet, you have no idea how much trouble your causing the Clan. You're disrepectful, you go out and sleep when you're supposed to be hunting. You're VERY selfish, you eat the prey you catch, and you never come back with anything for the rest of us!" Shellfish had tried to listen, but he had grown bored and he was still very sleepy so he had zoned out. Littlebrook got mad for the first time in the conversation. "And now you're not even listening? Honestly Shellfish, I knew you were low but not this low!" she snorted. "Know what the worst part is? If I keep talking to you, or give you more work, you'll just do the same things you've been doing!" he was now glaring at her. She ranted on with the final statement. "Did you know that Falconstar is considering banishment? You never do anything for us, we don't need to take care of you!" Shellfish tried to speak but it was as if no part of him worked any longer. He opened and closed his mouth like a dying fish. Littlebrook stormed away dropping the last words over her shoulder. "You know, they always said that they gave warriors the names they deserve. I guess they were right, Selfish! Chapter 6 Shellfish would never admit it mto anyone in a million years, but Littlebrook's words had hurt. She was a good deputy and her opinion was always worth listening to. And when the others had given him the 'Selfish' jiubes, she had never joined in. But today, she had called him the name, even worse, said it truely fit him. And (according to her) she had good reason to. Shellfish had felt awkward when she had padded away, not sure to go to his den, go after her, go back out hunting. Finally he decided to get some rest. He entere the den, passing some warriors on the way out. He was so hurt, he hardly noticed when he accidentaly pushed both of them into the sharp brambles outside the den. He also failed to hear their yowling and cries of complaint. He just needed to sleep..... Shellfish woke up the next morning. A smarter, kinder cat would have remembered Littlebrook's words the day before, vowed to start anew and go out to help their Clan. But this was Shellfish. He had already decided if the Clan wanted to be cruel to him, he'd let them. But he wouldn't go out and take care of them until he got some respect. So he stayed in his den. Although, when he made this plan, he thought he would get more attention, a little beging would have been nice. But it was sun high and no one had come. He wouldn't have gotten up unless he was hugry so he pushed through the den enterence slowly and made his way to the fresh-kill pile. He grabbed the fattest, largest rabbit on the pile and took it to where the other warriors were eating. "You know, if anyone wants me to hunt, I'd be glad to share my skills." he said, wanting to see their pleading eyes and begging looks. Then, very slowly, his Clanmates turned to him. Chapter 7 Shellfish looked at each of the five warriors and few apprentices. Streampaw, Heartpaw, and Tricklepaw stared at him, glaring, Shellfish guessed their mentors had told them about him in a way that wasn't flattering. Lakestorm, a fiery ginger she-cat, mother and mentor to Tricklepaw moved away from Shellfish as if she was disgusted by him. Owleye and Eaglewing, twin sisters hissed as he looked at their identical faces. Talonswoop, the biggest, strongest, and best looking tom around growled and looked to Heartpaw, his own apprentice. Even the nicest tom in camp, the medicine cat Seedstalk nodded to Streampaw as if confirming something he'd said earlier. Shellfish said again, "If you-" Talonswoop hissed. "We heard what you said Selfish. We're just thinking about what hunting skills you have exactly." the other warriors all howled with laughter and Shellfish tried to join them. "Very funny." he looked around, 'Jeez, I've been in my nest all day and no one said a thing." Owleye and Eaglewing said, together, at once, "Maybe that's because we don't care!" Shellfish tried not to show how much that had hurt but it wasn't long before all the cats were yowling insults. "You never do anything!" shouted Tricklepaw "Yeah, you act like there's no one here but you! And all we do is do work for you that you should do yourself!" hissed Streampaw. "They're right, you never do anything but ask us for things." agreed Seedstalk. Heartpaw yowled, "And what about me? I used to be your apprentice, but you were too important to do things like train me and help the Clan! Talonswoop had to take over my training!" Talonswoop sneered, "I'm lucky enough to have Heartpaw, he's great. But you should have beren there for him when he needed you!" "Selfish! Selfish!" chanted Owleye and Eaglewing. Pretty soon, the whole group was shouting the word, then some kits joined in, finally, almost everyone in camp was yowling the words, even the elders. Shellfish hissed and shouted insults back at them, but eventually, the force of their words drove him away, he ran out of the camp hissing and spitting. Their words followed him Chapter 8 Shellfish ran out of camp. He knew the other warriors were not right. He did lots of good, kind things! Just not for other cats.... He kept walking, not sure where exactly he was going. He hoped his legs got him there soon, he was tired. He was walking towards one of the borders, he could smell the scent of another Clan. He wondered why he was there. Was StarClan controlling him? Shellfish did not believe in StarClan, he thought that a cat had no one else to rely on, that they always had to look out for number one. And Shellfish thought that was him. He kept on walking, he was almost at the border when...WHAM! He fell to the ground and looked up. It was his worst nightmare. Falconstar and Littlebrook had obviously been on patrol alone together, Shellfish had walked right into the Clan leader. He gasped, "Ow, you hurt me!" Faloconstar managed to keep smiling while Littlebrook snarled, "Actually, we were jst talking about you Shellfish!" Shellfish gulped, "What....about me?" he stammered. Littlebrook started to say something but Falconstar cut her off, "Oh, nothing." he turned to his deputy, "I have to go back to camp. Will you fill him in for me?" Shellfish's leader strode away back to camp. shellfish turned to the sneering deputy and gulped. "What is it?" Chapter 9 The smile on Littlebrook's face was so poisonously sweet, if an enemy cat had seen it, they would have gone running. But Shellfish was brave. "What do you want?" he whimpered, cowering, backing up into a tree. Littlebrook laughed. "Falconstar and I have decided, based on new...ah...actions, you have shown that you are not ready to be a warrior yet." Shellfish gasped, he thought he knew where this was going. "So, as a result, we have demoted you to apprentice status, Shell''paw'' and until you have done apprentice duties well enough, you will never be a warrior." Shellfish knew he should have complained, but the scary look was still on Littlebrook's face so he squeaked, "Who's my mentor?" Littlebrook's smile grew bigger, "Talonswoop has said he can deal with another apprentice. He will be taking you on. Now, head back to camp Shellpaw." Shellfish gave her a look that he though would scathe most cats. It merely looked like he had constapation. He ran back to camp and threw himself into his new den. The apprentices den. Chapter 10 Shellfish padded in the den after his first day as an apprentice. He was so upset...Talonswoop had pushed him so hard, had been relentless, had done too much...and Shellfish was still hated by the Clan. "I wish they didn't exist! I wish I was in some kind of place where they never were, where the souless monsters they are exist only to torture poor cats like me!" he sobbed into his nest. There was a rush of wind. He would not have paid attention but after a moment, he relized he was no longer lying on his nest, but on grass. He slowly got up and looked around in horror. He was surronded by grassy fields, nothing was there, no trees, no rocks, no streams. He panicked. what had just happened? He felt a tremor in the ground. He turned, thinking it was his Clanmates, apologizing for the trick they had just played, taking him home, having a party in his honor. About ten cats thundered towards him, ungroomed, eyes wild, they rumbled towards him and soon Shellfish was caught in a storm of cats. One she-cat yowled, "The Soul-Taker is coming!" Shellfish cired, "What? Who's that?" No one answered. He pinned the she-cat down who had first yowled, "What's going on?" he asked her. Her eyes were wide and frightened, a pretty shade of blue, almost purple. She was staring at something over Shellfish's shoulder, something that was getting closer. "The Soul-Taker is coming!" she yowled again and Shellfish looked around in horror at this new and savage world. What's happeed? Where is Shellfish? And what are these cats afraid of? Who are they? And what on StarClan's hunting grounds is a Soul-Taker? Follow Shellheart as he tries to figure these questions out in: Banished! Category:[[Artimas Hunter's Fanfics]] Category:Artimas Hunter's Fanfics